African diplomats stab NGOs in the chest on Zimbabwe

By Ebenezer Hanson

The election of Zimbabwe by developing countries, particularly African countries, to head the UN’s Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), despite strong protest from the Western diplomats, is the unkindest stab inflicted on NGOs in recent memory.

The Western diplomats argue that Zimbabwe is unsuitable because of its human rights record and economic problems. It is suffering food shortages and rampant inflation.

Zimbabwe was elected to lead the commission by a 26-21 secret ballot among CSD members at the UN headquarters in New York. There were also three abstentions.


The action of the African representatives is a slight on NGOs participating in the 41st Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights Accra who have, in a resolution, condemned the increasing violence, human rights violations and selective application of the law perpetrated against human rights defenders in Zimbabwe.

Accordingly, they have called upon the government of Zimbabwe “to desist from harassing, intimidating, assaulting, arresting and detaining human rights defenders, including members of the legal profession who protect the rights of human rights defenders.”


The NGOs also urged the government of Zimbabwe to comply with its obligations as articulated in the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the Principles and Guidelines on the Right to a Fair Trial and Legal Assistance in Africa, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and Other international human rights instruments.

The resolution also encouraged Civil Society, including democracy movements, women movements, students and youth movements, professional bodies and other pressure groups to co-ordinate their activities to ensure a systematic and sustained oversight over the state of compliance or non-compliance by the government of Zimbabwe with resolutions of the African Union (AU).

The NGOs called upon the African Union (AU) to insist that the government of Zimbabwe implement the recommendations of the African and stipulate specific time frames for compliance with recommendations.

The forum was organised by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS) in collaboration with Media Foundation for West Africa.

The developing nations at the UN’s Commission said they respected the decision of the African group to nominate Zimbabwe for the post in the first place, and they have shown they cannot be pushed around.

Zimbabwe’s environment minister, Francis Nheme will now become chairman of the CSD. He is the subject of European Union travel ban, because he is a member of President Robert Mugabe’s government. That means he cannot travel to the EU to meet ministers on the commissions business.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the UN, Boniface Chidyausiku, said before the vote that his county was entitled to hold the chairmanship.

“It is our right. We’re members of the United Nations and we members of CSD, and the Africa group did make a decision and endorsed Zimbabwe. They are making a storm out of a tea cup,” he told the media.

He said the real objection came down to Britain’s criticism of Zimbabwe’s controversial land reform programme.